Booking.comChecked by Vetteroo review

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What it is

Online travel site for hotels, homes, flights, cars and attractions

Best for

Travelers who want a huge choice of places to stay

Price

Free to search

Prices checked

October 31, 2026

We researched Booking.com's official pricing, terms, product pages, help pages and outside reviews. We haven't used Booking.com ourselves, so this is a research-based review, not a hands-on test.

Who it’s best for

• Travelers comparing many hotels.
• People who want free-cancellation rates.
• Road-trippers booking last minute.

Who should skip it

• Probably not the best fit for travelers who want a company to stand behind every refund dispute.

How it works day to day

This part draws on Booking.com’s own product pages, help center and documentation, read October 31, 2026 (listed under Sources). We haven’t used Booking.com ourselves.

Search your dates, read the cancellation terms for the specific booking, and pay.

Key features in use

• Hotel search
• Free cancellation
• Genius discounts
• Car rental
• Attractions

Setup and learning curve

None.

Integrations

None.

Support

Email, chat or phone; see its site.

Real-world use cases

• City breaks
• Road trips
• Family travel
• Last-minute stays

What it costs

Prices checked October 31, 2026, from Booking.com’s own pricing page unless noted. Prices change often, so check the official page before you buy.

• Searching is free; prices are set by each property, and some bookings are paid upfront and non-refundable.
• Its terms say cancellation fees and refunds depend on each property's own policy.

What we like

• Huge selection.
• Free-cancellation filters.
• Loyalty discounts.
• Covered by many news outlets.

What to watch for

• Trustpilot score is very low.
• Refund disputes with properties are common in news reports.
• Fake-listing and scam concerns.
• Some prices exclude taxes and fees.

The fine print

• Cancellation and refund rules are set by each property or provider; read them before you book.
• Never pay a host by bank transfer or through a link sent in chat; pay only on the Booking.com site or app.

The main alternative: Expedia

Expedia is the main rival.

What it costs: Varies

Pick Booking.com if you…

• want the biggest selection.
• want free-cancellation filters.
• want Genius discounts.

Pick Expedia if you…

• want flight-and-hotel packages.
• want another loyalty program.
• want a second price check.

Our take

Booking.com has unmatched choice, but its very weak Trustpilot score and reported refund and scam problems mean you should book free-cancellation rates and pay only on the site.

Side by side

From our company records. Check the official pages for current prices.

What we checked

• Booking.com's pricing, product pages and terms, read October 31, 2026
• Booking.com's Trustpilot profile, read October 31, 2026
• Expedia's details: read on its official pages on October 31, 2026 (comparison only; not reviewed)
• The other official and outside pages listed under Sources (links checked October 31, 2026)

Sources

• Booking.com (official site)
• Booking.com terms
• Booking.com news (The Guardian, refunds)
• Booking.com news (The Irish Times)
• Booking.com news (The Guardian, EU investigation)
• Booking.com news (ABC News)
• Booking.com on Trustpilot

How we review

We read the company's own terms, test the sign-up or booking steps where we can, and compare it with alternatives. A commission never changes what we write. Read our disclosure.